Automatic lock slider for fasteners



Aug. 16, 1955 R. c. LEGAT 2,715,255

AUTOMATIC LOCK SLIDER FOR FASTENERS Filed Jan. 31, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Rom/er QLEG/ir flTTORNEY Aug. 16, 1955 R. c. LEGAT 2,715,255

AUTOMATIC LOCK SLIDER FOR FASTENERS Filed Jan. 31, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //v vavrox? fewffifalEG/if United States Patient AUTOMATIC LOCK simnn non FASTENERS Robert C. Legat, New Britain, Conn, assignor to The G. E. Prentice Mfg. Co, Kensington, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application January 31, 1951, Serial No. 208,733

Claims. (Cl. 24-26514) This invention relates to separable fasteners of the slide operated type and more particularly to a slider therefor provided with improved locking means for preventing unintentional movement of the slider along the fastener.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of lockingsliders which will be simple and cheap to manufacture and at the same time, very durable and eflicient in operation.

Other objects of the invention as well as the advantages and novel features of construction of the slider of this invention will appear from the following description thereof, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a front view of a portion of a fastener equipped with a preferred form of the slider of this invention; Fig. 2 is a side view, partly in section, of the slider shown in Fig. 1 and showing the positions of the parts when the slider is in an at-rest position on the fastener; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, and illustrates the positions of the parts when the pull tab is manipulated to pull the slider in a downward direction along the fastener; Fig. 4 is a side view of the slider with the housing or locking arm removed; Fig. 5 is a top plan view, partly in section, of the slider; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the blank from which the housing or locking arm is made; Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a front view of a portion of a fastener equipped with a modified form of the invention; Fig. 9 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the fastener shown in Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line 13-10 of Fig. 8; Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig 10 but showing the positions of the pull tab and locking arm during the actuation of the slider; Fig. 12 is a top plan view of the slider with the housing or locking arm removed; Fig. 13 is a side view of the slider part shown in Fig. 12; Fig. 14 is a plan view of the blank from which the housing or locking arm of this modified form of the invention is made, and Figs. 15 and 16 are left and right side views, respectively, of the housing or locking arm as viewed in Figs. 8, l0 and 11 of the drawings.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 7 of the drawings, the fastener illustrated is of conventional type having flexible tape stringers 1 and 2 with rows of interlocking elements 3 and 4, respectively, secured to the opposed edges of such stringers and constructed and arranged so they can come together and interlock properly in interfingered relation. The engagement and disengagement of the interlocking elements 3 and 4 are controlled by the longitudinal movement of a slider having a body portion provided with a conventional Y-shaped interior channel for guiding the interlocking fastener elements in to and out of engagement. The body portion of the slider comprises two wings or plates 5 and 6, which are connected at their upper ends by an integral transverse connection or neck portion 7. The plates or wings 5 and 6 and neck portion 7 are made from a single piece of material, which, after it has been processed to complete the 2,715,255 Patented Aug. 16, 1955 form of the Wings 5 and 6, is bent in the region of the neck portion 7 to bring such plates into the relation shown: in Figs. 2 to 4 of the drawings. The plate 5 constitutes the outer or front wall of the slider and is disposed in spaced, substantially parallel relation to the other plate 6 which forms the rear wall of the slider. During the aforesaid bending operation, the neck portion 7 is transferred from a flat rectangular shape into a depending fold which is V-shaped in cross section, as can be more clearly seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings. This depending fold forms a wedge-shaped divider or separator at the upper end of the slider intermediate the two Wings 5 and 6 thereof. The two wings 5 and 6 are provided with lateral guide flanges 8 and 9, respectively, to define theouter margins i: of the interior channel through which the interlocking elements travel when the slider is moved longitudinally of the stringers. It will thus be seen that the wings 5 and 6, the flanges 8 and 9, andthe outer side walls of the V-shaped neck portion 7 define the interior Y-shaped channel composed of a central leg 10 in the lower portion of the slider (note Fig. 5), and two diverging arms 11 and 12 in the upper portion of the slider, or in the region of the said V-shaped neck portion 7.

Stamped out of the metal-material of which the front plate 5 is constituted and spanning the'cut-out from which such material was obtained, is an elongated lug 15 which extends longitudinally and centrally of such plate and whose ends are integrally connected to such front plate (see Figs. 3 to 5); As will be seen in Figs. 4,5 and 7, lug

15 includes a central, longitudinally extendingv interior wall or partition 16 so that the side edges of. such lug, which project outwardly from such wall, form a track by which the pull-tab 17 is slidably connected to the slider body. The pull-tab or device 17 for the slider may be of any convenient form and asvshown, comprises a metaltab bifurcated at one end to embrace the side edges of the lug 15. The transverseportions 18, 18 of the bifurcated end of the pull tab extend under the side edges of the lug 15 towards the wall 16 to'permanently secure the tab in position on the slider and have their opposed ends spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of wall 16, so that'the tab may be slidably moved with case from one end of the lug to the other end thereof. It will thus be seen that the slider body with lug 15 and pull tab 17 constitute a complete slider which will function as an ordinary non-locking slider.

A hollow housing 18 made from spring sheetrnetal' such as spring bronze is mounted over the lug 15 and is pivotally attached to such lug at a point between its upper end and the center of its longitudinal length. The

through and is revolvably mounted in an'opening in wall 16 (note Fig. 4), and whose outer ends are secured in openings provided in the side walls 20, 21 of the housing, the outer ends of such pin being flush with the outer surfaces of such side walls. It will be understood however, that instead of utilizing the pin 24 to pivotally support the housing on the lug, this may be accomplished by projections formed by small punches in the side walls 20, 21 and extending either into the opening 25 or so located on such side Walls as to extend into opposed openings formed on the projecting side edges of the lug above the wall 16, as in the hereinafter described modified form of the invention. This latter construction has 3 the-advantagethatdt-is cheaper to make, and effectively locks-the housing on the lug.

The top wall 19 of the housing is cut to provide an elongated, longitudinally extending spring finger 26 whose free end 27 overlies the -upper end' of the portion of lag- 15;" which is in-parallelism with-slider plate and'is-located' above-the axisof-pivotal'movement'of such housing on the-lug.- 'I'hefree 'end' 27 ofthe spring is bent inwardlyat-- an angle of approximately. 45 degrees tothe= bodyaofthe springso that-the-terminus-only ofsuch free" end-bears on the; outer surfaceof the: lug and the spring-fingers26 is-placed underanormal, initial tension, tending to maintain the-lowerend of the housing at the end of its pivotal movement toward the front slider plate 51 Adjacently belowthe pivotal axis of'thehousing'18; the sidewalls 20, 2L thereof; are provided with a'pai-r ofaligned open-recesses-whoseedges-form inclined surfaces 283128} andthrough which the'transverse portions 18, 18 ofthe pull=tabextend. It will thus be seen that the bifurcatedlend of the pull-tab 17ernbraces -orstraddles locking: member-30.- Further, the depth or length of? lockingmember 29'is slightly greater than thatof locking member30, and its lower or inner edge is inclineddownwardly in a curved fashion, whereas, the lower or inner'edge of locking member 30 is straight and disposed more toward the horizontal. Thus, the inner edge of locking member 30 facilitates the travel of the sliderin the upwardor closing direction of 'the fastener, preventinginterlocking-of such locking members with the fastener elementsduring such movement of the slider, while when" a stress is exerted on the fastener stringers tending to move the slider downwardly or in the opening direction,

as :will hereinafter appear more clearly, such member 30 will immediately cause the slider to become locked on Thelocking members 29 and 30 extend such element; through anenlarged' portiori 31 atthe' lower: end-of the cut-out-insliderplateS from which the lug 15 is formed" and having side= sections extending beyond the sides' of the lug15 as is :shown more clearly in Fig. 5 of'the drawings; it being such side-sections of'the-enlarged cut-out portion--31 through which thelocking members extend.

The inner projecting ends of thewlocking-members'29 and 30 are normally maintained in engagement with the-inter locking elements and 4'-ofthe= sliderby-thespring 26.

It will be understood from the foregoingthat-in the normal at-rest position d the slider, the spring-26 integral withthe housing 18will maintainthe-lockii1g lug 29 inengagement with theouter-su-rfaces of the interlocking elements-'3; In this condition-of the slider, the pulltah17 will be-positioned either as shown inFigs; land-2 or as shown in-Fig. 5; When the slideris to be'moved to fully closed position or any. intermediary position, the-pull tab fastener, as viewed inFig: llof the drawings, and when 'so used; thetransverse portions :thereof will engage the inclined.surfaces:28;.28';on:the sidewalls 20,: 21 of the" housing 18 .to,lift thelolwer. end of such. housingupj wardly against the tension of. spring 26; andtherebyi-move: the locking. projections 29 and 302from:engagement withthe locking. elements. During-such upwardmovement of the. slider, if. the force of:the pull .tab is .notsuflicient to hold the locking elements 29 and-30. in-unlocked position, the .lower or inneninclinedfedge-ofprojection 29' will simply cam or. ratchetover. thefastener elements, thus maintaining' the. projection 30 away from engagement with the fastener elements in such upwardmovement: The extent of pivotalmovement'of the housing 18 is limis-grasped bythe user to move the slider-upwardly on-the 4 ited by the edges of the side walls 20 and 21 above the inclined surfaces 28, 28 and the inner edge of the end wall 23 engaging the exterior surface of the front slider plate 5 (note Fig. 3). When the slider has been moved up to the desiredposition and the pull tab 17 released by the user, the spring 26 will immediately cause the lower end of the housing 18 to move toward the front plate 5 of the slider, thereby bringing the locking members 29 and 30 "into engagement with thefastener elements. Usually such locking members will move into locking position in the spaces between the fastener elements 3 and 4, but if locking member 29 should come to rest on the outer surface, of a fastener element, any downward movement of the slider by forces tending to inadvertently openit, will cause the. locking member 29 and consequently the locking member 30 to move into the next adjacent space between the elements, and elfectively lock the slider in position on the fastener. The inward movement of the lower 'end of the housing 18*and consequently the locking elements 29 and 30 is limited' by-the engagement of the inner edgesof theportions of the side walls 20 and 21 below the inclined edges 28; 28"with-theexterior surface of slider plate 5. When the user desires" to move the slider downwardly to open the fastenen'the pull tab is shifted'to the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, whereby the lower end of the housing 18 is" lifted away from the fastener elements to permitiof suchmovement;

As a result of this invention, it will be observed that a single basic form of slider-is provided; which may be made-- forsliders of the usual unlocking type and-for the lockshown in-Fig. 4 of the drawings.

the housing Ben the lug 15, while the pull tab is in araisedposition and then pivotally connecting the-hens ing to the lug. As the housing is so formed that'it constitutes a spring, locking arm and locking means combined,

the mere assemblage of such-'housing'on the basic slider thus provides a complete automatic locking slider. Thus, thisninvention provides a universal slider which may be utilized on any form of fastener without the necessity'o'f making a special form of slider fora customary type offastener, or one provided with an automatic lock" as is thepresent practice. Due to the fact that the portions of the housing constituting the spring, locking arm and'lockingmembers are all made from a single piece of metal, it will be seen that this part'can readilybe manufactured in quantity production at a cost'that will be "much'less than the'present types of lock sliders which require special forms of supporting lugs'and separate springs. The parts when'assembled cannotbe readily damaged-and are-re Ifit should occur thatthe automatic-lock ing'feature is rendered inoperative orif the housing should liable in use.

he lost as 'aresult of excessive stresses on the slider, the latter will-not be rendered inoperative, but will-continue to perform its function, but-of course, the automatic look ing fastener will not be present.

While-I'have hereinabove described'and illustratedin-- Figs. 1 to 7 'ofthe drawings a preferred form of the in--- vention which may beassumed'in practice, it will be=un-- derstood that this embodiment is merely for'the'purposesof illustration and that various other forms may be-de vised-within the scope-of the invention. For example; I have shown in Figs. 8to l6= of-the drawings, a-form of" slider which embodies the essential features of the-slider previously described. In this modified form of slider, the

front plate 5' is provided with a lug 15 which may he of the-form of lug'15'or merely of generally "rectangular" shape, as shown in Figs; 11 and-.12 and 'elongatedilengthwise of the slider. The lug may be provided with aligned depressions 35 on its side walls, or instead of such depressions with a hole extending through the lug. Mounted on the lug 15 as in the previously described embodiment, is a hollow sheet metal housing 18' made of spring metal and having side walls 20' and 21, a lower end wall 22' and an upper end wall 23'. The housing 18 is pivotally attached to the lug 15' adjacent one end by projections 24' extending into the depressions and formed in any suitable manner as by small punches. Instead of form ng a spring 26 within the confines of the top wall of the housing as in the previously described embodiment however, the top wall of the housing in this modified form of the invention, is cut so that the upper end wall 23' forms the outer portion of the spring 26'. This can more clearly be seen in Fig. 14 of the drawings, which shows a plan view of the blank from which the housing is made. Thus, in this modified form of the invention, the end wall 23', which forms the outer free end of the spring 26' bears against the upper end wall of the lug 15' and is so formed that when the housing 18' is pivotally connected to the lug, the spring is placed under a normal tension sulficient to normally maintain the locking members 29, 30 in engagement with the locking elements of the fastener. As the operation of this modified form of the invention is similar to that of the previously described embodiment, it will be believed that such opera tion need not be repeated:

1 claim:

1. An automatic lock slider for separable fasteners comprising a slider body having an interior channel and the outer plate of which is provided with a lug extending longitudinally of the slider body and formed to provide a longitudinally extending guideway, a pull tab for moving said slider body in a longitudinal direction on a fastener and having a transverse portion extending into the guideway of the lug to permanently connect such pull tab to the lug and to permit pivotal and longitudinal movement of said pull tab relative to said slider body in the operations of the slider, said slider body together with its lug and said pull tab constituting a complete operative slider, a unit member constituted of a single piece of spring metal material and formed to provide a hollow housing, a locking projection and a spring finger, the hollow housing being mounted on said lug and being pivotally connected to said lug for rockable movement thereon, one of the side walls of said housing having integral therewith a locking projection extending through an aperture in the outer plate of said slider body and movable into and out of engagement with fastener elements in the channel of said slider body in the rocking movements of said housing, said housing having a longitudinally extending recess in its side through which the transverse portion of said pull tab extends into sliding connection with the guideway of said lug, said recess being located between the pivotal axis of the housing and the locking projection thereof and restricting the longitudinal movement of such transverse portion to a distance less than the length of said guideway, the edge of the recess coacting with said transverse portion to rock the housing outwardly when a pull is exerted on said pull tab, and said transverse portion coacting with said lug guideway to limit the outward pivotal movement of said housing relative to said lug by said pull tab, and a spring finger formed out of the material of the outer wall of the housing connecting the side walls thereof and being separate from said lug, said spring finger being integrally connected to the outer housing wall on the side of the pivotal axis of the housing on which the locking projection is located, extending over the outer surface of said lug generally longitudinally of the slider and over such pivotal axis of the housing, and at its free end engaging the outer surface of the lug on the other side of such pivotal axis, said spring finger through such engagement of the free end thereof with the outer surface of the lug coacting with such surface to normally yieldably hold said locking projection in engagement with the locking elements when the pull on said pull tab is released.

2. An automatic lock slider such as defined in claim 1, wherein the spring finger is located in a closed opening formed within the confines of the outer wall of the housing, and the free end of the spring finger is bent inwardly so that only the terminal end of the spring is in engagement with the outer surface of the lug on the said other side of the pivotal axis of the housing.

3. An automatic lock slider such as defined in claim 1, wherein the unit member constituting said housing includes a top wall connecting the side walls thereof and end walls connected to said top wall, and wherein said spring finger is connected to and formed from part of said top wall, said spring finger at the end of said top wall on the said other side of the pivotal axis of the housing being bent transversely to said top wall to overlie one end of said lug, said transverse portion of said spring member forming one of the end walls of the housing.

4. An automatic lock slider for separable fasteners consisting of three unit parts, a slider body, a pull tab and a member constituted of a single piece of spring metal material, said slider body having an interior channel and the outer plate of which is provided with a lug extending longitudinally of the slider body and having longitudinally extending lateral recesses providing oppositely extending flanges at the outer edge of said lug, a pull tab having a pair of transverse portions engaging in said recesses to permanently connect such pull tab to the lug and to permit pivotal and longitudinal movement of said pull tab relative to said slider body in the operations of the slider, said slider body together with its lug and said pull tab constituting a complete operative slider, said unit member constituted of a single piece of spring metal material being formed to provide a hollow housing having top and side walls, a locking projection and a spring finger, the hollow housing enclosing said lug and being pivotally connected to said lug for rockable movement thereon, one of the side walls of said housing having integral therewith a locking projection extending through an aperture in the outer plate of said slider body and movable into and out of engagement with fastener elements in the channel of said slider body in the rocking movements of said housing, and said side walls having longitudinally extending recesses through which the pair of transverse pull tab portions extend into said lug recesses, said housing recesses being located between the pivotal axis of said housing and the locking projection thereof and restricting the longitudinal movement of such transverse portions to a distance less than the length of said lug recesses, the edges of said housing recesses coacting with said transverse portions to rock the housing outwardly when a pull is exerted on said pull tab, and said transverse portions coacting with said lug flanges to limit the outward pivotal movement of said housing relative to said lug by said pull tab, and a spring finger formed out of the material of and located in a closed opening formed within the confines of the top wall of the housing and being separate from said lug, said spring finger being integrally connected to said top wall on the side of the pivotal axis of the housing on which the locking projection is located, extending over the outer surface of said lug generally longitudinally of the slider and over such pivotal axis of the housing, and at its free end engaging the outer surface of the lug on the other side of the pivotal axis, said spring finger at its free end being bent inwardly of the top wall of the housing and said bent free end being in continuous slidable engagement with the outer surface of the lug during the movements of said housing and coacting with such surface to normally yieldably hold said locking projection in engagement with the locking elements when the pull on said pull tab is released.

5. An automatic lock slider for separable fasteners consisting of three unit parts, a slider body having an interior 7 channel and the outer plate of which is provided with a lug extending longitudinally of the slider body, a pull tab connected to the slider, and a member constituted of a single piece of spring metal material and formed to provide a hollow housing, a locking projection and a spring finger, the hollow housing being mounted on said lug and being pivotally connected to said lug for rockable movement thereon, one of the side walls of said housing having integral therewith a locking projection extending through an aperture in the outer plate of said slider body and movable into and out of engagement with fastener elements in the channel of said slider body in the rocking movements of said housing, said housing having longitudinally extending recesses in its sides located between the pivotal axisof the housing and the locking projection thereof, said pull tab having a transverse portion engaged in said recesses and adapted to transmit a lifting force to said housing to move said locking projection to unlocked position during opening or closing movements of the slider,'-said spring finger being separate from said lug and being formed out of the material of the outer wall of the housing connecting the side walls thereof so that saidspring finger, together with the remainder of the outer wall of the housing, overlie and conceal the outer surface of said lug, said spring finger being integrally connected to the outer housing wall on the side of the pivotal axis of the housing on which the locking projection is located, extending over the outer surface of said lug generally longitudinally of the slider and over such pivotal axis of the housing, and engaging the outer surface of the lug on the other side of such pivotal axis, said spring finger being substantially located in the plane defined by the outer wall of said housing and through such engagement thereof with the outer surface of the lug coacting with the latter to normally yieldably hold said locking projection in engagement with the locking elements when the pull on said pull tab is released.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ulrich Mar. 3, 1953 

